Debbie Jones, Owner of the Forest Deli, shortlisted in the Small Independent Retailer of the Year category in the Speciality & Fine Food Fair Awards. 

How does it feel to be shortlisted?

We’re absolutely thrilled to be finalists, over the last 6 years our little shop has evolved in so many different ways, but 2 things have always been a constant for us,  being part of the community here in the beautiful Forest of Dean, and the cheese, we wouldn’t have existed at all if wasn’t for our love of cheese.

Why do you think the judges thought Forest Deli stood out?

We’re honestly not sure, we just do what we do!

What does it mean to you to be an independent retailer?

The joys of being able to be different, of having the ability to be flexible and adaptable to not only complement our local high street fellow independents, but to provide good honest products from amazing local producers,  that are real, full of flavour and provide great value for money.  As an independent we really get to choose what we sell, what we make and how we sell it. It also gives us the freedom to support our community and local initiatives, no head-office red tape to contend with.

What do you think your customers love most about Forest Deli?

Alongside our core offering of everyday things like milk and coffee and our extensive cheese counter, there’s always something new to try, whether it’s a new cheese, a new beer or a new creation from the kitchen.  Also we hope it’s about our customer service, remembering customers names, what  cheeses they’ve had before, following up on previous recommendations.  As we live in quite a rural area, we’ve proved to be quite a good advice/drop-in centre for what to substitute in a recipe if there’s a missing ingredient, saving customers from having to travel to a big town.

What’s your approach to sourcing new food & drink?

It’s always about local first.  Our favourite producers are those we know. They share our ethos. When you go and pick up direct from the farm,  you can see first-hand the high welfare of the animals, have discussions about weather and milk yields, know and trust the quality of the products, and truly appreciate the seasonality of smaller scale production. No mass homogenisation of the food chain. Then it’s about quality of product in terms of flavour, shelf life and value for money.   We like it if products have a bit of originality about them, and if we can we love to meet the producers behind the products (that’s why trade shows are great for us). If it’s already stocked in a supermarket then generally we’ll pass.

Cast your vote for the winning Independent Retailer, New Product of the Year, and more at specialityandfinefoodfairs.co.uk/speciality-fine-food-fair-awards-2024.